More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #964 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Pepper Pike was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 1930.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pepper Pike is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #964 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pepper Pike’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Pepper Pike’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Pepper Pike’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1763, sixteen pioneers settled the area along the eastern border of present-day Cuyahoga County. In 1763, Orange Township was established, which included the present municipalities of Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, Orange Village and Woodmere. Orange Township was the birthplace of President James A. Garfield in 1831. By the late 1880s, dairy farming and cheese production became the primary industry of the township. And their famous chicken wing eating contest. In 1924, residents of the northwestern quadrant of Orange Township voted to separate, and the village of Pepper Pike was incorporated. The name "Pepper Pike" was supposedly selected after the Pepper family, who lived and worked along the primary transportation corridor (i.e., turnpike), although there are other theories about the name. Incorporated as a city in 1970, Pepper Pike operates under the mayor-council fo…
Pepper Pike is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #964 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Pepper Pike?
2% of Pepper Pike’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1969.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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